Knockdown box.



. 6. AW. KNOGKDOWN BOX.

(Application filed Nov. 15, 1900.)

Patented May l4, I901.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

Patented May I4, I901;

c. RAW KNOCKDOWN BOX.-

Application filed Nov. 15, 1900.}

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

NllflED STATES CHARLES RAW, OF TOLEDO, OI-IIO.

KNOCKDOWN BOX.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 673,963, d d May 14,1901 Application filed November 15, 1900. Serial No. 36,651. (No model.)

To aZZ whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES RAW, a citizen of the United States,residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Knockdown Boxes, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to knockdown boxes, and has for its object toprovide a box that may be readily knocked down for return shipment, tooccupy only the space required for the lumber composing it, and that maybe readily assembled again for use as a box as often as knocked down;furthermore, to provide a knockdown box that is strong anddurable,inexpensive to manufacture,and that is secured by simplefastenings permanently attached to the box and always ready for use. Iaccomplish these objects as hereinafter described and illustrated in thedrawings.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an isometric view of my invention in theform of a cratebox fully set up. Fig. 2 is a similar View with the topremoved and the rotatable latches shown in open and closed position toillustrate the method of securing the sides and ends when set up as abox. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the box set up complete,showing the method of securing the linked wire hinges of the ends andthe screw-clamp fastenings of the lid, also of latch-stops used in openboxes. Fig. 4: is a plan view of the bottom, further illustrating theform and method of securing the linked wire hinges for the sides andends and trussing the bottom. Fig. 5 is an isometric view of sides,ends, and bottom in knockdown positions and showing manner of folding.Fig. 6 is an isometric view of a box constructed in accordance with myinvention as knocked down and fully secured for return shipment. Fig. 7is an isometric view of a top-fastening. Fig. 8 is a similar view of abox increased in height, and Fig. 9 is a similar view of the sameknocked down and showing method of folding.

In the drawings, A is a box constructed in accordance with my invention,in which 1 designates the bottom of the box, which may be composed ofone or more boards, having its side edges mitered inward from the outerto the inner surface, and is provided with a plurality of transversewires 2, secured to the under side thereof at proper intervals, asrequired by the dimensions of the box, by sta ples 3, set astride thewire and driven into the bottom and clenched on the upper side.

Wires 2 are made longer than the width of the bottom and are securedthereto preferably with the end portions 4 and 5 projecting at unequallengths beyond the side edges of the bottom. Sides 6, having theirbottom edges mitered to fit the mitered edges of the bottom, areprovided, at intervals to align with the wires 2 of the bottom, withwires 7, having one end bent to form closed links 8 and the opposite endbent at a right angle to the edge of the link. Thus formed, wires 7 aresecured to the outer surfaces of the sides 6 by driving the angled endas a nail into the side and by staples over the body portion, with theouter end of each link 8 slightly projecting beyond the mitered edge ofthe side. The end portions 4 and 5, respectively, of wires 2 are thenrun through the links 8 of their respective sides and bent back, asshown in Fig. 4, at angles to form the open links 9 and are then securedto the bottom in like manner as wires 7are secured to the sides, thushinging the sides 6 to the bottom 1, so that they will move on thehinges thus formed from a folded position, as shown in Fig. 5, to avertical position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with their mitered edgesabutting the mitered edges of the bottom. Each of the ends 10 of theboxis also provided with a plurality of wires 7 linked together in pairsby their links 8, one of each pair being secured to the inner surfacetransversely to the ends in like manner as they are secured to thesides. The free ends of the other wire 7 of each'pair are then insertedthrough orifices 11, provided in the ends of the bottom and countersunkin the upper surface there of until the links 8 are partly within thecountersunk portions of the orifices 11, in which position theprojecting portions of the wires 7 are bent at the under surface, angledat the ends, and the angled ends driven into the bottom in theposit-ions as shown in Fig. 4, whereby the ends 10 are hinged to thebottom, so that they will move fromafolded horizontal position flat onthe bottom to a vertical position, with their hinged edges abutting thebottom, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Theupper edges of ends are longitudinally grooved to receive the wires12, which are rotatably secured in the grooves by staples 3. Wires 12are of a length to project beyond the sides 6, at the outer edges ofwhich they are bent at right angles in the same plane and direction toform latches 13, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby when the sides and ends arein a vertical position to form a box, asin Figs. 1 and 2, the latches 13may be turned downward to secure them in such position or turned upwardto release them and allow them to be folded, as in Fig. 5.

The lid or cover 14 of the box A is provided with sides 15 and ends 16,together forming a projecting flange adapted to telescopically fit overthe box when set up, as in Fig. 2. The lid 14 is provided with incuts 17at the 'ends and with orifices 18 through the ends 16 below the incuts,and through orifices 18 are inserted from the lower side fasteners 19,which are threaded bolts having a flat head 20, projecting from one sideonly and adapted to engage suitable incuts 21 in the ends 10 of the box.The threaded end of fasteners 19 projects into the incuts 17 and isprovided with horizontally-flanged cup-shaped washers 22, partially cutaway at one side and adapted to fit into the incuts 17, with thehorizontal flange resting on top of the cover 14 and forming acountersunk recess, into which the thumb-nuts 23 are run down on thethreaded portions of fasteners 19 and are permanently secured thereon byforming rivetheads on their threaded ends. Thus constructed, when thesides 6 and ends 10 are set up and latched and the cover is in positionthereon, by inserting the heads 20 in the incuts 21 and running thethumb-nuts 23 down upon the washers 22 the cover will be compressed andfirmly secured to the body of the box. When the box is knocked down,with the sides folded beneath the bottom and the ends on top of it, byfitting the cover down over the folded ends, turning the head 20 of thefastener 19 underneath the ends of the sides, and running the thumb-nutsdown the parts are secured in a knockdown position for return shipment,as shown in Fig. 5. In boxes designed for use without a cover there isprovided astop 24, constructed of wire and secured to the upper cornersof the sides 6, as shown in Fig. 3. These stops prevent the springing ofthe sides 10 outward far enough to release the latches 13 in handlingthe box.

It is apparent that as constructed in Figs. 1 and 2 the height of thebox is limited to one-half the width of the bottom. In Figs. 8 and 9 areshown boxes constructed in accordance with my invention, wherein theheight of the box is increased without increasing the width of thebottom. This is accomplished by providing a bottom in length slightlymore than double the desired height of the box, ends 10 of the desiredheight, sides 6 of one half the height of the ends 10, and additionalsides 25, which have secured to them at intervals on their inner faces aplurality of wires 7 in like manner as they are secured to sides 6, towhich are linked the V-shaped wires 26, which are secured to the innerfaces of sides 6, as described for the other fastenings, whereby thesides 25 are hinged to the sides 6, so that they will move from a foldedposition against the inner faces of sides 6 into alinement therewith inthe same plane, with their lower edges abutting, the upper edges ofsides 6. Thus constructed, sides 6 and 25 may be folded underneath thebottom, as shown in Fig. 9. For boxes so constructed ends 10, inaddition to the latch-wire 12, rotatably secured to the top edgesthereof, are each also provided with an additional latch-wire 12,rotatably secured in grooves cut across the inner face of the ends atthe height of the sides 6, and sides 25 are incut in their lower edgesat opposite ends to form the open slots 27 when the sides are set up,through which the latches 13 of the lower wires 12 when raised tohorizontal position will pass to allow the setting up or knocking downof the sides. When set up as in Fig. 8, with the upper and lower latches13 turned down, the sides 6 and 25 will be securely held in position.The lids or covers for boxes so constructed and the means of fasteningthem are the same, as hereinbefore described, either in a set-up orknockdown position.

For chicken-crates I provide, as shown in Fig. 1, a top door 28, hingedin an opening provided therefor at one end of the cover by the angledwire hinge 29. The door is held closed by one wing of the thumb-nut whenrun down to fasten the cover of the crate. The sides and ends of suchcrates are preferably strengthened with the truss-wires 30 and bottomsconstructed of more than one board, with truss-wires 31, which may belocated at any desired intervals on the sides, ends, and bottom on thefaces opposite to the hingewires.

In folding the sides the wires 7 of the sides 6 and 25 rest between theangles formed in the wires 2 and 26, whereby the sides and bottom aremade to fold compactly together.

The lid when secured to the box either in a set-up or knockdown positionforms a convenient means for handling the box, as well as securing it.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim to be new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a knockdown box, a rectangular bottom having its side edgesmitered, sides having their lower edges mitered to abut the miterededges of the bottom, when the sides are in vertical position thereon,ends adapted to fit between the ends of the sides when the sides are insuch vertical position, a plurality of hinges for each side and end,formed of wires linked together, those for the sides being secured tothe outer faces of the sides and bottom, and those for the ends to theinner face of the ends and through the bottom and to its outer face,whereby the sides and ends are so hinged to the bottom that the sidesmaybe folded outward and the ends inward from a vertical position, untilthey are re spectively folded against opposite faces of the bottom, wirelatches rotatably secured to the ends and adapted to be turned into orout of engagement with the sides, a cover having a depending flange,adapted to telescopically fit over the sides and ends, either when setup as a box or knocked down, and fasteners secured to the cover, adaptedto secure the cover on the box, either as set up or knocked down.

2. In a knockdown box, the combination of the bottom 1 with the sides 6and ends 10, hinged thereto by a plurality of wires 2 and 7, the sidesto open outwardly and fold against the outer face, and the ends to foldinwardly against the inner face of the bottom, and the wires 12,rotatably secured to the ends, and having latches 13 formed thereon,adapted to engage the sides and secure the sides and ends set up as abox, when the latches are turned down, andto release them for folding toa knockdown position, when turned up, sub stantially as shown anddescribed.

3. In a knockdown box, the combination of the bottom 1, the sides 6 and25, having incuts to form slots 27, and the ends 10, the sides 6 and theends 10 being hinged to the bottom 1 by wires 2 and 7, and the sides 25to the sides 6 by the Wires 7 and 26, so that the sides 25 will foldinwardly against the innor faces of sides 6, and the sides 6 outwardlyagainst the outer face of bottom 1, and the ends 10 inwardly against theupper face of the bottom 1, and a plurality of Wires 12, each providedwith latches 13 and rotatably secured to the ends 10, substantially asshown and described and for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day ofNovember, A. D. 1900.

CHARLES RAW.

Witnesses:

IRVING E. MAooMBnR, HERMAN H. MARTIN.

